Challenge Accepted
by dydshark
Summary: The saying "We are all fools in love" has never rung so true as it does for Itachi and Sakura. In which Sasuke plays matchmaker to a stubborn teammate and a masochistic brother. No conversation ends well that starts with, "Let's move in together." AU, Non-Mass. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Challenge Accepted

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

"I think we should move in together."

To his credit, Sasuke didn't react outwardly to his teammate's sudden declaration. He merely stared blankly as the chair beside him was roughly pulled out and Sakura fell heavily into it. She poured herself a generous helping of sake before settling back to observe Naruto and Hinata across the room. "Those two are so cute together, don't you think?" she continued, as if she hadn't just dropped a bombshell on him that sounded suspiciously like a proposal. "They're so totally engrossed in each other and—Oh look! Naruto has to bend his head to hear what Hinata was saying. Isn't that the most _adorable_ thing—"

"What."

"We should move in together," Sakura replied easily, never taking her eyes off the glowing couple. "And Hinata isn't blushing too terribly! It's just a light dusting on the cheeks, perfect for a demure proper—"

"What."

She sighed. "You heard me."

When Sasuke continued to stare unblinkingly, she finally turned to him and said exasperatedly, "Oh, don't look at me like that."

"But _why_?" he demanded, utterly perplexed.

Sakura fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. "Well, Naruto and Hinata are married now," she said thoughtfully. "And knowing Naruto and his past as an orphan and no siblings, they're going to have a lot of kids—and I mean _a lot_. Like we'll probably have a tiny little Naruto junior running around within the next year. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they just keep popping out kids—possibly because Naruto might not understand how babies are made."

"So?"

_"So_ as his teammates, we're going to be their go-to babysitters! _So_ what with Naruto becoming increasingly involved with Konoha politics, he's going to be _really_ busy. _So_ Hinata has opted not to retire–much to her family's horror, I might add–_so_ can't you see that we'll be taking care of their kids a lot?"

In truth, Sasuke looked halfway horrified at the thought of babysitting miniature Narutos. The other half was still just very, very confused. "I don't understand why that necessitates us moving in together."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Honestly Sasuke, you can be so dense sometimes. You're a bachelor, right? And you like things pretty neat and organized–a little on the stark side, if you ask me. Now, imagine having to take care of a kid on a regular basis. You see, babies cry a lot. They need to be fed at regular intervals, and don't forget the nasty diapers you need to change. And then on top of that, they start _teething_ in the first three months, so you have to start carrying bibs, changing bibs, buying teething toys. And when they start crawling, you have to baby-proof your house, which means all those neat right angle edges on your tables, your counters, and your walls go bye-bye! And _then–"_

_"_Okay, okay, I get it!" Sasuke practically yelled. Horror had definitely prevailed as the dominant expression on his face.

"Basically, kids will ruin your bachelorhood. It's like having a family without getting married," Sakura concluded frankly. "The _benefits _of living together include more living space for a cheaper price. We can split an apartment that's got two bedrooms, a common living room space, and a spare room that we can set up as a baby room! That way, the mess is contained, _and_ it makes it easier for Naruto and Hinata. They don't need to take the kids to different locations depending on who's home. So can't you see? It's the best case scenario for both parties!"

Sakura chanced a glance at him when Sasuke didn't speak immediately. He was staring at the ground, brows puckered together as he measured the pros and cons of her offer. She prayed he would take it, but judging by the way that frown kept deepening, she had a feeling he was about to ask another silly question.

"And what if one of us were to become… _involved_?"

Definitely a silly question.

Any other time, Sakura would have snorted at her friend's pointed avoidance of the word "relationship." But today, she was too nervous, too desperate for this to work. "Well, you're not known as the Ice Prince for nothing, Sasuke," she remarked, tactfully ignoring the murderous glare he sent her. "And I…" Her voice lost all its levity, and for a brief moment, she looked lost. "And I'll probably end up following in my mentor's footsteps."

"Besides, husbands and men in general are overrated anyways," she added, trying to inject humor back into the conversation.

"We're twenty-five, Sakura. I hardly think that warrants such a pessimistic view of your love life," he pointed out and immediately regretted ever opening his mouth.

"Twenty-five and single for all twenty-five of those years," she snapped. "Even _you_ had that brief thing with Karin-san. I think that's a pretty good indication of what the rest of my life will look like."

Sasuke cursed his ever-logical brain for ever bringing up the topic. He _really_ didn't want to talk with his _female_ best friend and teammate about _men_, but she looked so utterly forlorn (like a kicked puppy with freaky pink hair, he thought), that he sighed and said, "So then go… find a boyfriend."

"It's not that easy," she whined, almost immediately and much to his dismay. "I've tried! But no one meets my expectations. They're either too nice, or too aggressive, or too rude. And some men only want to know that I can cook while others seem to live vicariously through my work. I don't even think what I'm looking for is all that hard. I just want a man who's intelligent, and loyal, and elegant–a guy who will respect me, but also push me to be greater. And in return, someone who I can respect and love. He doesn't need to be perfect; in fact, I'd rather he wasn't. I want to grow old with a man who ten years down the road, I'm still learning about and falling in love with all over again, like a jigsaw puzzle I spend my entire life piecing together. And there's no one out there like that, Sasuke."

Sakura's voice had trailed off as a dreamy expression stole across her face. It was the same expression Sasuke had been noticing on her face more and more often in the past year, usually when she thought no one was noticing. And then, she would invariably look down at her hand and smile.

Sure enough, Sakura glanced down at her hand, her lips curving up ever so slightly.

"Liar."

Sakura's head whipped up. "What?"

"You do know a man like that," Sasuke countered, lips twitching into a smirk.

Immediately, Sakura flushed and looked away. "No I don't," she said petulantly.

"You do."

Sakura immediately clammed up, crossing her arms and pointedly turning her back to him. "I know a man with long, dark hair who sits with his tea and reads all day. Women are always gushing about his long _elegant_ fingers, and men admire his unwavering _loyalty_. Not to mention–"

"He's an asshole with a propensity for insulting innocent pink haired girls who were twelve and stupid," Sakura interrupted fiercely. As her lifelong friend, Sasuke instantly noted her bright red ears peaking out from underneath her pink hair and decided not to comment on it. "Of all the people you bring up, you think _he_ would be a good match? Well, your judgment is just a little _off_, Uchiha, because we would never, _never_, work. He's a no-good, arrogant, entitled _bastard_ who–"

"Sakura."

"–judges before he knows anything about the person. And winning his regard is not only _impossible_ but also _pointless–"_

_"_Hypocrite," he muttered.

"—Just because he's a national hero, _doesn't_ make him an instantly likable person. In fact, _I_ think it's just a case of overblown hero worship that's led to an over inflated ego—"

"Sakura."

"–Which can never be good for anyone! And yet, does anyone listen to me? NO! I'm just that crazy girl who—"

"He loves you too, Sakura."

"—Has an unhealthy obsession with—what."

Sasuke gave a world-weary sigh. "He loves you too, Baka."

"Wh-what are you talking about, Sasuke?" Sakura laughed nervously. "And _who_ are you talking about?"

Another sigh.

"You know who I'm talking about," he replied enigmatically.

She flushed. "No, I don't know who you're talking about, especially that 'too' part. I'm not in love with anyone. Where did you get that idea? When, throughout this entire rant, did you get the idea that I'm in love with someone? Did Naruto say something? It's probably Naruto. He should be glad it's his wedding day so I have to be nice. Sasuke, I'm hurt that you would believe that Baka over—"

"Uchiha. Itachi. My brother," Sasuke finally enunciated carefully, eyes almost burning with triumph.

Sakura's mouth snapped shut. She gulped.

* * *

><p>Uchiha Itachi: famous for many things, but in this case, notoriously known as Haruno Sakura's arch nemesis. To this day, he still doesn't understand how exactly that came to be.<p>

It started (as Sakura implied in her earlier rant) when Sakura was twelve and very much obsessed with Sasuke:

A few weeks before the Chuunin exams, she had followed Sasuke secretly after practice one day in the hopes of perhaps scoring a date with him.

To her surprise, he didn't go home. Instead, he made his way back to the gates of Konoha and then proceeded to wait patiently beside the guardhouse. The sun was setting and she had almost fallen asleep twice when he finally straightened and started sprinting out to greet the approaching shadows on the road.

Sakura, fearful of being caught, shrank back behind the bushes where she was lurking. She was stunned, however, when the figures came into view again and _Sasuke was smiling_. He was also speaking animatedly; cheeks flushed a dull pink as he narrated what sounded like their latest mission—exaggerated and egocentric—to the other figure.

"That sounds highly improbable," the mysterious person said. Sakura had to swallow her gasp because this other person looked like an older version of Sasuke. It was only once they'd drawn nearer that she saw the defining stress lines and his long hair. "Your teammates must have done some of the work."

Sasuke snorted. "Naruto's an idiot who usually messes the mission up somehow before he gets his act together. If he'd stop goofing around, we could be done a lot sooner. And Sakura's just annoying."

She would be lying if she said that didn't hurt.

By sheer dumb luck, the two boys stopped in front of her hiding spot as Itachi signed in. "Annoying how?"

"She's never focused on the mission. She's always looking at me with these hearts in her eyes and following me around. She's smart, yes, but she doesn't use it," Sasuke complained.

"That is because no one expects her to use it," Itachi replied with the wisdom of a much older man. "In all likelihood, she will marry a middle class shinobi and retire after she has achieved the Chuunin rank. Women like that are not meant for our line of work. She will not bother you for much longer." 

In hindsight, with many more years of experience, Itachi had been right. For as long as she could remember, Sakura had been told that she must find a husband who would let her retire and raise her shinobi sons to be strong and brave. That was what was expected of her. She herself had looked forward to the day when she could settle down to live with her husband as a homemaker.

But as she crawled out of the bushes that day—long after the two boys had departed—all she felt was self-righteous anger and humiliation at the perceived derision she had just overheard. In her young mind, he, a perfect stranger, had written her off as useless in one passing glance, and that hurt.

As she cried herself to sleep that night, she swore on her chopped hair, which marked her first sacrifice, that she would change. She would make Uchiha Itachi acknowledge her.

* * *

><p>"I thought you of all people would understand, Sasuke. I don't love Itachi. I hate him. I've hated him for years, and I've never been shy about vocalising my opinion," Sakura said in a tone that even she didn't believe.<p>

"Uh-huh."

"I do!"

Sasuke regarded her fidgeting figure thoughtfully, and then a devious smirk spread across his face. "Okay."

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"I believe you," Sasuke shrugged. "You say you don't like Nii-san, so I don't see the need to fight you on your own feelings."

Sakura opened her mouth dumbly before closing it again. She stuck her chin out mulishly and turned around again to look out on the dance floor. "Good! It's not like I cared anyway!"

Sasuke continued to watch her with a knowing smirk. Every so often, she would peek back at him only to snap her eyes away the second she realized he was looking at her. He noted how often she would cross and uncross her legs and began to count down silently from ten.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven—

She turned back to him with a glare and muttered, "I hate you."

"What?" he asked innocently.

"_Sasuke_!" she whined.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he answered coolly.

"You said… _you know_."

"No, I don't know. Could you remind me?" he asked, unable to hide his smug expression.

Sakura glared a little harder. "You said… something about… Itachibeinginlovewithme," she mumbled.

Too wide eyes looked back at her blushing complexion. "I thought you said you didn't care."

No response.

"That he was the last person you would ever fall in love with."

Sakura still refused to look at him.

"And––"

"Alright, alright!" she finally shouted. "I admit that I have… _feelings_ for your brother—"

Sasuke gave her a look.

"—That may or may not include romantic inclinations," she added grudgingly.

The next moment, she was rolling her eyes at Sasuke's smug smirk. "Oh, shut it," she muttered. "It's just… I've spent so much time hating him and trying to be better than him… It feels like I'm going against everything I've worked for… falling in love with him and all…"

* * *

><p>The Challenge: The Chuunin exams came and went; Team 7 had failed. Knees shaking and knuckles white, Sakura approached Tsunade-sama just days after her instatement as the Godaime Hokage and asked for an apprenticeship. To everyone's shock, she was accepted.<p>

Emboldened by her perceived victory, she marched up to Uchiha Itachi in the middle of the market and challenged him to a match.

He refused as politely as he could, though that did not stop the cruel whispers that followed her as she left.

However, Sakura was not to be deterred. Under Tsunade's careful teaching, she learned how to break rocks with her bare hands, how to make the ground rumble with a footstep, and every once in awhile, she would challenge Uchiha Itachi.

On her hundred and ninth challenge, he accepted and beat her to the ground with a single kunai.

That should have been the end of it, or so Itachi thought. But Sakura picked herself up again, and the next month, Itachi was mildly surprised when she challenged him yet again.

This time, he needed two kunai. 

It became something of a spectator sport for the Konoha residents. At least once a month, Haruno Sakura would challenge Uchiha Itachi to a match, and he would accept (because as he'd found out in the beginning, she was incredibly stubborn). People would gather around the training grounds to watch in an almost sadistic fascination as Sakura had her ass handed to her time and again.

No one in the audience noticed that the dynamics of the fight had begun to shift. The Uchiha's sharingan was now activated every time they fought. And eventually, she wasn't the only one finishing the bout with bruises and cuts. Itachi quickly learned to get out of the way of her punches after she broke four of his ribs with a single punch. _Her_ bruises and cuts were darker, bloodier, not the controlled nicks they had been previously because now, Uchiha Itachi was fighting back.

And then one day, Itachi was slammed onto his back while the heaving form of Haruno Sakura stood above him.

The silence that followed was deafening.

And Sakura, after all her hard work and training, turned around and walked away without another word.

* * *

><p>Sasuke blinked in surprise. "You mean you haven't been in love with him all these years?"<p>

"What? No! Of course not! What made you think I did?" she demanded.

"Those challenges, your aggressive, one-sided competition with him—I mean, you went after him with all the intensity of a fangirl."

"That was the complete opposite of what I was trying to prove!" Sakura protested, horrified. "I challenged him because I wanted to prove that I wasn't useless. Kami, for the longest time I resented him so much because I overheard him telling you I wasn't worth your time. He was this…this measuring stick I compared myself to. I thought by beating him in a fight, I would get the recognition I wanted. It was only after that incident a year ago that I started seeing him differently."

* * *

><p>The Incident: A year ago, Uchiha Itachi was admitted to the hospital for a collapsed lung, which quickly escalated to something worse when he began coughing up blood. Every time the medics re-inflated his lung, it would collapse again a few days later.<p>

The medics searched for a possible cause. They took x-rays, analyzed blood samples, flushed his systems with healing chakra…

Nothing.

They called in Tsunade-sama, consulted medical specialists, took more samples…

Nothing.

The doctors gave him a week at best, with machines continuously removing the blood from his lungs while they fed donor blood intravenously, all in an attempt to keep his blood pressure up.

She was there when his doctor relayed their conclusions: he had somehow contracted an unknown and incurable lung disease. His entire family was present to hear the verdict. Mikoto shed silent tears as she stroked her son's hand. Fugaku's mouth tightened into a frown and for a moment, he refused to look at anyone in the room. Sasuke didn't waste time with emotions. He took two long strides to Sakura, grabbed her by the arms, and said, "You _have_ to save him."

Sakura herself had been consulted on the case and had been just as baffled by the mysterious symptoms. And as sorry as she felt for Sasuke and his family, she also agreed with the medic in charge that there was nothing to be done.

But just as she opened her mouth to tell Sasuke that, she caught sight of Itachi's expression. He was lying on the hospital bed, face barely visible behind all the equipment, and she could see the quiet resignation in his eyes as he tried to comfort his mother.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. Perhaps it was a product of all those years trying to earn his respect, an old unbreakable habit, but in that resignation, she saw a challenge.

_You cannot find what is wrong with me_, his eyes seemed to say.

_Yes I can._

So instead, she politely excused herself from the grieving family and requested a copy of Itachi's charts as she made her way back to her office. 

It took two days, fifteen hours, and thirty-seven cups of coffee for her to find it: a piece of shrapnel lodged a finger's width away from his heart. After checking the hospital logs, she confirmed her suspicions when she found a note that not a week before Itachi's first hospitalization, Itachi's team had been in a nasty explosion at a metal plant.

"The shrapnel entered through his right armpit, cutting through both lungs before stopping just short of his heart," she explained to his family as Itachi recovered from the successful surgery. "We couldn't find it before because it was incredibly small, and the angle made it hard to see on the x-ray. I missed it the first dozen times I went over the pictures. This last time was sheer luck."

* * *

><p>"He was so fragile, even after the operation. It was the first time he'd ever looked so human in my eyes," Sakura recalled through clouded green eyes. "I think that was when I started to forgive him and realize how truly incredible he was…"<p>

"Spare me the details, Sakura. It's bad enough that you're crushing on my _Nii-san_ and that I'm playing matchmaker for both of you," Sasuke griped, visibly cringing.

Sakura refocused on him. "But that's just it, Sasuke. He _can't_ possibly love me back," she said weakly, a growing note of desperation in her voice. "When would he even begin? I was just that annoying little girl who kept pestering him for a fight. And he spent most of the time in the hospital asleep or in physical therapy. There's no way he would fall for me."

"Sakura, he's been in love with you since the moment you threw him on the ground," Sasuke snorted.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered.

"Fangirl persistence, remember? Aniki admires dedication, and despite the fact that you were seriously outclassed at first—"

"Hey! I resent that!" Sakura interjected.

"You never gave up," Sasuke continued, unperturbed. "Towards the end, you guys were fighting at least every two weeks. He told me once that you never fell for the same trick twice.

"When you won that last time, you didn't just get his respect, you also won his heart."

Sakura was speechless. Foolishly, she could feel the beginnings of tears well up in her eyes—from sadness or happiness, she wasn't sure. "Why didn't he say anything?" she finally managed to ask in a semi-clear voice.

Sasuke shrugged. "You walked away without looking back. I think he figured you were only into him while he was an unattainable goal. The minute you became his equal, you realized he wasn't special."

"What—that's the stupidest—_who would ever think such a thing about Itachi_?" she demanded.

"He's a masochistic idiot with extreme altruistic tendencies. Aniki has always placed other people's welfare before his own."

"That…that _dork_!" she exploded. "I can't believe him! How can he be so blind?"

"You mean the same way you didn't realize that you've been in love with him all this time? Or that maybe, being the high-level shinobi that you both are, you weren't just fighting him; you were courting him? And that maybe, by walking away, you broke his heart?"

Sakura looked away. "Right."

Sasuke's eyes softened. She looked guilty yes, but underneath that thin layer, he could see the hope getting increasingly stronger.

"You should go over to him," Sasuke urged gently. "We both know he won't make the first move."

She seemed lost in thought, head bowed so he couldn't see her expression from behind her bangs. Therefore, he was mildly taken off guard when she stood suddenly. "I think I will," she said absently, apparently still in her own world as she started towards the dance floor.

She had taken two steps when Sasuke called after her again. "Sakura."

She turned expectantly, an elegant eyebrow raised in question.

"Knock some sense into him for me."

She grinned.

**Author's Note:**

I'm back! With a legit author's note this time too. First of all, I'd just like to say thank you in advance to _anyone_ who reads this. I've had this idea swirling around my brain for almost as long as Fanboy, so I'm really happy to finally be posting it!

This will be a two shot that will hopefully be updated soonish. Depends on whether life will grant me free time or not.

Pertaining to the story and characters, I know I write Sasuke as more talkative than most people are used to, but I'd like to think that in an AU, Non-mass world, he would be more of an introvert who opens up (and talks to) his close friends. About Sakura, I thought it was important to acknowledge her crush on Sasuke, and also to point out the fact that it was _because_ he left that she got stronger. And that's possibly why he means so much to her in the manga/anime. So I tried to create a scenario where Itachi would supplant Sasuke as her motivation for improving.

Also, fun fact: the shrapnel bit was inspired by the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. I read somewhere that as the door to his car was being close, a bullet got squished, entered through his armpit, and almost reached his heart. For awhile, the doctors had no idea why he wasn't recovering. UNFORTUNATELY, when I went online to verify my facts, I couldn't find any mention of this story. :( True or not, I used it and can only hope that it did/can happen.

Ughh, this is getting awkward, so I'll end it here. Please review and tell me what you think!

~dydshark


	2. Chapter 2

The wedding had been a decided success. Hinata-sama had been married without incident, though the Uchiha elders were scowling heavily amongst themselves. Smug though he may be, Hyuuga Hiashi was at least wise enough to keep his distance tonight. He did however pitch his voice louder the first time he called Naruto "son" so Itachi and Shisui, who were not far away, might hear him. Neither man particularly cared; they'd agreed when the engagement was first announced that the match would not change Konoha politics. If Hiashi-sama thought he could control his daughter, he was in for a surprise; she'd proven her grit when she refused to leave the shinobi life behind.

Yes, the wedding had indeed been successful, Itachi mused, and all he wanted to do now was to retire for the night.

She had looked beautiful today. Her light green kimono had complemented her eyes tremendously well, and the simple twist she'd put her hair up in—he swore his heart had stopped. Sheer will power alone had kept his mind focused on the conversation around him when she walked into the room.

How was it one woman, five years his junior, could make him feel so vulnerable? She'd always had that affect on him, for seven years now, in fact. But a year ago, he'd at least had better control over his wayward emotions—then again, a year ago she hadn't saved his life, hadn't defied all expectations yet again, hadn't reaffirmed everything he loved about her.

So here he was: thirty years old, a clan leader, and one of the most powerful shinobi in the world, and no prospective wife in sight because the only woman he wanted was far, far out of his reach.

This fact haunted his mother, even his father to a certain extent, for years. It was one thing, believing your son to be absolutely disinterested in the female sex—or either sex, at that—but it was wholly unacceptable in her mind that not only was Itachi interested, but he had also found a woman. Singular. Specific.

And he refused to act.

A little known fact about Uchiha Itachi was that despite his genius on the battlefield, the man was completely hopeless when it came to anything about love. He was a little too serious for most girls' liking; the one time someone who interested him had gathered the courage to ask him out, he had inadvertently rejected her because he had too much work. (Sasuke and Shisui had teased him relentlessly for that blunder.)

He tried correcting his err by inviting the girl to a spar. She read him correctly in assuming it was a date, but her interpretation of what a spar-date entailed was very different from his. _She _showed up to the date in a crop top, short-shorts, and sexy, black stiletto heels, but rather than jump her like she had anticipated, Itachi merely fell back into a crouch and sent a fireball roaring her way. Itachi ended up carrying her to the hospital five minutes into the date for a twisted ankle and third degree burns from when she tripped on her heels. And he didn't even carry her bridal style… After that, well, she refused to talk to him ever again. (And his brother and cousin just about died of laughter.)

For what seemed like the thousandth time, his eyes flickered to that infamous tuft of pink hair from across the room. She appeared to be in deep conversation with his brother. He noted her pink cheeks and the furrow in her brow. Unconsciously, his own mouth mashed together in a frown. She looked upset and… sad.

Presently, an elder claimed his attention, and Itachi answered politely. By the time he looked back to her table, Sakura was gone. His brother, however, was still seated. Their eyes met for a brief second, and then, Sasuke raised a glass of sake and toasted his brother with a mischievous smirk. Dark eyes immediately narrowed. What was his otouto planning?

Sasuke's eyes flickered to something else momentarily. Itachi, following his gaze, felt his heart stop for the second time that night: Sakura was pushing her way through the dancing couples towards him, eyes sparking with indignation and annoyance.

Itachi had never seen anything so beautiful.

She was too far away to hear, but he could read the muttered litany spewing from her lips. He frowned slightly when he caught the words "bastard," "masochist," and "idiot."

Before he could process anything, she was in front of him, and he briefly wondered why this woman was always standing over him. He opened his mouth to greet her when she leaned over, grabbed the back of his head, and smashed their lips together.

The term "kissing" couldn't quite describe what this was. It was more like having a tongue shoved down your throat, and Itachi, shocked by the suddenness of the gesture, was suddenly confronted by the not-so-unpleasant sight of Haruno Sakura's eyes squeezed shut in complete concentration.

When she pulled back—all too soon for his (and her) taste—he could only stare back in catatonic shock.

"We need to talk," she growled and dragged him out of the room, impervious to the suddenly frozen and silent room.

* * *

><p>By the time Itachi had gathered his wits, they were in the adjacent garden. Once they were far enough that the light spilling from the party could not reach, Sakura abruptly stopped and spun around to face him. Itachi noted with approval that she'd made sure the moonlight was to her back, illuminating none of her features and all of his. Neither spoke for a moment as (Itachi could only assume) she studied him critically.<p>

"You love me," she finally stated.

"Yes." Because as surprised as he was that she knew, he had never denied his feelings.

She started at his easy admission, obviously having expected him to put up more of a fight. Her arms came up to cross over her chest. "How long?" she asked.

"From the very moment you commanded me to yield seven years ago," he admitted, eyes never leaving hers.

Again, he'd succeeded in surprising her, if the tightened grip on her forearm were any indication. She took longer to process this time. It irked him slightly that he couldn't see her face. She was incredibly expressive, a trait he'd come to appreciate during their spars. It had betrayed her intent more than once.

"Why—why didn't you ever say anything?" she finally asked, voice strained.

"I was under the impression you hated me," he replied dryly.

In the semi-darkness, he could only guess that when she looked away, she was embarrassed. "I did," she admitted quietly.

"Then I do not understand why it should matter to you," he concluded smoothly, turning to leave.

A small hand caught his wrist, forcing him to halt. "I _did_, but I don't anymore," Sakura said firmly. With the moonlight behind her, she had an almost ethereal presence, and Itachi prayed that she wouldn't notice the way his heart had picked up speed.

But of course, she had. Her eyes widened as she lowered her attention to his trapped hand. Tentatively, her other hand uncurled each of his fingers, all the while silently noting how his heart jumped in leaps and bounds.

"I haven't for about a year," she admitted quietly. And then she flipped their entwined hands over, and now Itachi could feel her own erratic heartbeat. Mesmerized, Itachi could not pull away as he felt the fluttering pulse beneath his fingers. Heart unwilling to let him hope, just yet, he turned his gaze back to her face.

"Sakura-san—"

"Sakura," she corrected.

"Sakura," he repeated slowly. "Sakura, you cannot possibly be implying what I think."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"We have had no contact in the past seven years."

"That didn't seem to stop you," she countered.

"My feelings are rooted in our spars. You have just admitted that your feelings have only recently changed," he replied easily, his face passive and unreadable. Sakura ground her teeth in annoyance.

"You were under my care in the hospital a year ago. That's hardly no con—"

"On the contrary," Itachi interrupted, causing Sakura to release a cry of outrage. "I was hooked up to a breathing machine and could barely speak. There was no opportunity to interact."

Sakura pouted mulishly. The heat of her glare more than made up for his inability to see it. "You held my hand, after the operation," she accused. "You—you grabbed my hand while I was checking your vitals, and you wouldn't let go."

"I was drugged up on painkillers," he said dismissively. "I could have been reaching for a glass of water for all I know." And then, before she could find a counter argument, Itachi continued flatly, "Forget your feelings, Sakura. Such a match will never work."

It felt like she'd been stabbed by Sasori's blade all over again. Her heart picked up into overdrive, and she struggled to keep her breathing even. "_What_?"

"Given our lack of interaction outside of the hospital incident, I conclude that your amorous feelings are a result of nursing syndrome," Itachi stated calmly, to Sakura's growing outrage. She bristled more and more as he continued, "With enough time, they will fade. Nor do I believe we share sufficient similarities that your feelings could ever reach the point of love. You are five years my junior, and you have demonstrated many times that you are not impressed by me."

"When did I ever demonstrate that?" Sakura spluttered, furious.

"You walked away," he said quietly, and for a brief moment, sorrow flashed across his face. Fleeting and raw, it made itself known in his eyes and his mouth and stopped up her throat with guilt.

And then the moment passed. His eyes returned to their normal impassivity, and he added, "Even if all that were somehow surmounted, a union would never be approved. You are best friend and teammate to the future Hokage, while I am the head of the most powerful clan. The other council members will surely block it."

Having listed his objections, Itachi turned to leave. He managed one step before Sakura had snapped out of her emotional turmoil and rushed in front of him, blocking his exit. In the moonlight, her expression was fierce and determined, eyes shining with defiance.

"_Bullshit!_" she hissed, anger surging through her stronger than ever. Evidently, Itachi thought wryly, she had obviously not been paying attention to his last point. "I know you prefer long distance attacks because you're a pacifist and whenever possible, you like to end battles quickly. I know you think that genjutsu is the most destructive of jutsus because of the psychological damage it inflicts. And even though you're a pacifist, you use genjutsu to ensure when you fight an opponent, it will be the last time you fight him. I know that when you train, it's never a question of working yourself blindly to the point of exhaustion, but rather improving your weaknesses. I know you prefer your left hand over your right despite the fact that you write with your right. I know you love tea, cabbage, and dango because whenever you're home from missions, there never seems to be any of those three in Sasuke's house. I know that when you have free time, you spend most of it in the library reading or studying. I also know that your favorite topics of study are philosophy, politics, and poetry. And your three great loves in order of importance are Sasuke, Konoha, and the clan." She paused for breath before muttering as an afterthought, "I started avoiding fights whenever Sasuke was around. You always performed better when he was watching.

"And _yes_, I walked away, but I was eighteen! Back then, you-you were this measuring stick, a way of determining how far along I'd come. I was so focused on proving you _wrong_ about me that I didn't even think about you… this way. It was only after… in the hospital and when I started looking back with more maturity that I realized…" she looked away, embarrassed and suddenly shy while Itachi watched curiously. "You make me want to be better. Intentionally or not, you push me beyond my limits, and I have never and will never meet another person like that. And I'm not"— she stared down at her hands, which had begun to ring themselves in her nervousness—"I'm not going to give that up. Screw whoever gets in the way. Screw the clans, screw the council, screw—"

Itachi stopped her before she committed high treason, or at the very least, insulted everyone in power. He grabbed her forearm and pulled, stopping her mouth with a soft kiss. It wasn't perfect; he'd never kissed anyone before and was therefore understandably shy about it. But Sakura responded almost immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him even closer.

"DID I MISS IT? HAVE THEY KISSED YET?"

The pair broke apart at the intrusive, but familiar sound of Uzumaki Naruto's voice. Glancing over, both were stunned to see the entire wedding reception staring back at them with rapt attention. Naruto appeared to be in the process of handing out popcorn. Immediately two fists shot out to conk him on his head.

"NARUTO OF ALL THE TIMES TO RUIN A MOMENT, YOU CHOOSE THIS ONE?" Tsunade roared at the same time as—

"UZUMAKI NARUTO, HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE WITH MY SON'S HAPPINESS!"

"Kaa-san…" Itachi murmured. He was distinctly uncomfortable, realizing that his family and co-workers had probably witnessed the entire confession. It was entirely unprofessional and embarrassing. Beside him, Sakura began to shake with concealed laughter before it bubbled over and she threw her head against his shoulder and laughed aloud. And then she kissed him again, this time to the cheers of everyone.

* * *

><p>Later that night, after what seemed like everyone had congratulated the new couple, Sasuke strolled up to them, smug smirk in place. But his eyes were happy, if not a little mischievous.<p>

"I deserve a metal for this," he said by way of greeting.

"Probably," Sakura agreed.

"You two are idiots."

"So we've been told."

"Seriously, I had to deal with this for seven years. Seven years of constipated silences and sexual tension every time I walked into a room with the both of you. Do you know how frustrating that is?"

"Yeah, yeah, you've made your point already," she grumbled.

"You even asked me to move in with you, you nincompoop. What kind of person asks the brother of her crush to move in with her?" Itachi's grip on her waist tightened marginally. "Two of the smartest people in Konoha, and yet when it comes to love, you're both blind."

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, finally silencing him. "_Thank you_."

His responding smile was genuine as he opened his arms. She ran into them happily, hugging him fiercely. "It was the sexual tension," he said over her shoulder. "You guys haven't been in a room with yourselves—_oomph!_" Sakura had squeezed just a little tighter, knocking the wind out of him momentarily.

"What a great friend," she sighed, innocently as she released him, ignoring his pained expression.

"She's dangerous," Sasuke warned Itachi once he'd caught his breath.

"Of course," Itachi replied, eyes never straying from the woman next to him. "That's why I fell in love with her."

Lost again as they were in their own romantic world, Sasuke took his cue to slip away, coming to sit next to his mother. She reached out and stroked his hair affectionately (and was probably the only woman who could get away with it and live. Secretly, Sasuke loved the feeling, but no one need know that). "They look happy, don't they?" she mused out loud.

"Hn."

"All wrapped up in their own world… I expect we'll have grand children by next year," she predicted happily.

"Maybe a little more than that," Fugaku commented on her other side. "They'll want to get acquainted with each other first."

Mikoto let out a tinkling laugh. "True. In the meantime, Sasuke-kun, when's the last time you've been on a date?"

Sasuke slumped in his chair, hands covering his face as he released an exasperated groan.

"Now, now, Sasuke-kun, sitting improperly in your chair isn't very attractive to ladies."

-End-

* * *

><p>Thus marks the end of Challenge Accepted. I know it's been a long time since I've updated... Almost a year, if I remember correctly. I hope it was worth the wait! Thank you to everyone who has liked, favorited, and followed this story! You guys kept me going through all the mental roadblocks, and I can honestly say that this wouldn't have been written without your requests to finish it.<p>

**Author's Notes**:

I'll keep these short. I apologize for the long wait. This second half proved a greater challenge than I initially anticipated because I couldn't figure out how to get to the ending I wanted. My original arc was so outlandishly out of character for Itachi that I couldn't go through with it, knowing how terribly I'd misrepresented his character.

I know I ended it rather abruptly, and without due explanations, (I might go back and rewrite parts) but the whole middle section where Itachi is questioning her is meant as a test. He's trying to gauge how much she loves him, and if it's genuine. (Like the story points out, he's not very good at this whole romance thing.) And she's never able to resist one of his little challenges.

Moment I'm sort of proud of: when he switches the lighting. When he turns to go and she stops him, they reverse positions. i.e. she now has the moonlight illuminating her features, making it easier for him to read her. Clever man.

I'd like to think that in another world, Sasuke is a huge dork, but that's just me.

Please, please review! They make my day. :)

Until next time!

~dydshark


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